Nation ready for a more constructive Mideast role

President Xi Jinping is on a three-nation tour of the Middle East, during which he is visiting Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran. Before Xi's first foreign trip of this year, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Khaled Khoja, president of Syria's main opposition National Coalition, earlier this month and urged him to participate in negotiations to end the Syrian conflict, and Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Ming visited the three Middle East countries.

The Middle East is vital for Beijing not only as a major oil supplier and a potential investment and trade market, but also as a key to the success of its Belt and Road Initiative.

China's mediation to resolve the Libyan crisis, the Iranian nuclear issue and the longstanding Israel-Palestine conflict has played a very important role in defusing tensions in the Middle East.